Signal device



o. WEBER. v SIGNAL DEVlCE.

APPLICATION. FILED MAY 22, I919.

Patented Dec. 23

CHARLES WEBER,'0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

SIGNAL DEVICE.

pecification o Ilette'rs'Patent Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

Application filed May 22,1919. Serial No; 298,996.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES WEBER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of. Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have, invented certain new-and useful Improvements in Signal Devices, of which the following is a specificatlon.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap and efiicient electric signal improvement and combinations of lamp adapted to. be attached to the back of the hand, particularly adapted for use of an automobile driver whereby upon putting the hand outside of theautomoblle and operating the fingers the lamp may be caused to flare a signal to the rear, as for indicating the drivers intention to deviate from his course or to stop.

My invention comprises novel details of arts that will be more fully hereinafter set orth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompany ing drawings forming wherein I Figure ,1 is a face view of my improvement illustrated in position for use upon the hand; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

a part hereof Fig. 3 is an end View of thedevice look-l ing from the left hand side of Fig.1, the

electric bulb being omitted;

Fig. i is a face view, the cover for the batteryand the electric bulb being removed, and part of the reflector being broken away;'

Fig. 5 is a cross-section substantially on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4:;

Fig. 6 is a rear view of the device.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a plate or body member adapted to support a, battery 2 and an electric light bulb 3. The plate 1 is of suitable dimensionsto fit conveniently upon the back of the hand of a driver. Means on the plate are provided to detachably connect'the battery thereto, for which purpose the plate is shown provided with side clips 4 and an end clip 5 to receive and clamp the battery. Said clips may be struck up from the metal of plate 1 or may be separate pieces attached thereto in any well known manner. The plate 1,-is also provided with a socket -or retaining means for lamp bulb 3. I have shown said socket in the form of a clip having spaced members 6 which may be bent from a base said portion 1*.

lamp is adapted to engage the terminal 2 of the batteryand the terminal 2* of thebattery 1s 1n engagement with contact or post 8 secured to plate 1. Said post is connected b'yan insulated conductor or wire 9 with a contact 10 that is located upon the inner side of a flexible supporting member 11 that is secured upon the exterior of' plate 1 and extends along the same. Member 11 maybe ofinsulating material, such as afibersheet. The plate 1 at the outer end portion 1 is extended beyond lamp 3 in position to receive the rays of light therefrom to act as a reflector therefor. I preferably secure upon 7 the forward'surface of reflector ortion 1 a piece of red colored material, such as a piece of red paper 12, or I may apply red paint on such surface so that the rays of light from the lamp will appear red upon said surface in the dark. Theflexible member 11 is extended freely behind and normally away from portion 1 of plate 1 so that the contact 10 may be brought into engagement with Instead of member 11 being of insulating material it may be of any suitable material and contact 10 insulated therefrom in a known way. In order to prevent accidental engagement of contact '10 with the plate portion 1, the insulating member 11 is shown provided with aslot 1 1 through which contact 10 may be adjusted and upon the back or portion 1 opposite one end of slot 14 is a piece of insulation at 15 to oppose the contact 10. When the devine is not to be used, such as when it is car- '"ried in the pocket, contact 10 will be adbearing against member 11 will retain the 1 contact inset position.

A cover 16 is adapted to be detachably fitted upon plate 1 to inclose the battery and the lamp bulb. For such purpose the said plate is shown provided with a projection 17 adapted to enter a slot 18, in one side wall of the cover and a spring-acting clip 19 on the opposite side of plate 1 is adapted to cocperate with a slot 20 in the adjacent wall of the cover, (Fig. 5). The cover may be applied by-first engaging slot 18 with clip 17 and then may be swungover the battery to snap the cover against clip 19. To release the cover the latter clip may be pressed outwardly. The upper end of cover 16 is shown provided with angularly disposed pro ection 16 adapted to fit over the globe of the lamp in position to cause the rays from the lamp to be directed against the reflecting surface 12. The adjacentsides 16 of the cover are shown closed in (Fig. 3), the parts 16*, 16 serving to protect the lamp. The opposite end of the cover is shown provided with transverse wall 16 to close over the end of the battery;

A band or belt 21 is attached to plate 1 to secure the device upon the hand, such band being fastened with a buckle of any suitable character at 22 to detachably fasten the device in place. The band or belt is preferablv divided at 21 in such a manner as to permit I the thumb of the hand to pass through the portions of the belt, and as said belt may be divided on both sides of its center itwill accommodate the thumb of either the right or left hand.

When the device is fastened upon the back of the hand the freely projecting portion of member 11 will oppose the fingers and the reflecting surface 12 will be exposed from the back of the hand, so that when the hand is in normal use, such as for steering or manipulating the automobile, the fingers will be bent away from member 11 so as not to close the circuit of the lamp. When it is desired to signal to the rear the hand is extended outwardly in an ordinary manner with the lamp device showing to the rear and the fingers are then straightened to engage member 11 whereby to move it with contact 10 toward the part 1 of plate 1 to close the cirsuit of the lamp. The circuit will be from the battery, through terminal 2, the lamp base, clip 6, plate 1, contact 10, conductor 9, post 8, and terminal 2* back to the battery.

The device is simple to manufacture, since it can be made relatively small and be capable of being carried conveniently in the pocket, and is convenient in use since it Will not interfere with any ordinary operations of the hand. The device affords means of protection against accidents when driving in the dark since a signal to the rear can be given by the mere outstretching of the hand and straightening of the fingers. An advantage is that the hand and arm are perfectly free for use since there is no connection of the device to the body or to the automobile, such as a connection required 1900perate the device or Wires to conduct current 0 the lamp from a battery on the automoile. Y

My invention is not limited to use on an automobile as it may be used in other relations for signaling.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v s

1. A support having means to retain a battery and an electric light bulb, said support having a portion extended beyond the bulb in position to receive the rays of light therefrom, and a movable member carrying a contact opposing said extended portion insulated from said support for contact with said portion and normally retained out of contact therewith, and connecting means from the contact to the battery.

2. A support having means to retain a battery and an electric light bulb, said support having a portion extended beyond the bulb in'position to receive the rays of light therefrom, said extended portion having a red surface to receive the. rays of light from the bulb, a movable member carrying a contact opposing said extended portion insue lated from said support for contact with said portion and normally retained out of con tact therewith, and connecting means for the contact to the battery.

3. A support having means to retain a battery and an electric light bulb, said support having a portion extended beyond the bulb in position to receive the rays of light there from, said extended portion having a red surface to receive the rays of light from the bulb and a movable member carrying a contact opposing said extended portion insulated from said support for contact with said portion and normally retained out of contact therewith, connecting means for the contact to the battery, said movable member having a slot, said contact being adjustably carried by said slot, and means to prevent said contact when in one part of the slot from closing the circuit of the battery. 4. A support having means to retain a bat tery and having means to retain an electric light bulb in electrical connection with the battery and with said support, a post upon the support in contact with a terminal of a battery, a flexible member carried by said support and having a contact opposed to an extended portion of the support to contact therewith, and a conductor connected to said contact, said extended portion being in position to receive light rays from the lamp.

5. A support having means to retain a battery and having means to retain an electric light bulb in electrical connection with the battery and with said support, a post upon the support in contact with a terminal of a. battery, a flexible member carried by said support and having a contact opposed to an extended portion of the support to contact therewith, and a conductor connected to. said contact, said extendedportion being in position to receive light rays from the lamp and having a red surface to reflect said rays.

6. A signal device comprising a support having means to supportan electric light bulb and having a reflecting portion to receive rays from said light, a flexible member carried by the support on the side opposite said reflecting portion in position to be engaged by the finger of a user, a contact upon said member to close the circuit of the light through said reflecting portion, and means to supply electric current for the light.

7. A signal device comprising a plate having means to retain a battery and an elec carried by the support and having a portion provided with a contact opposite said reflecting portion to contact therewith, and

-a flexible conductor connecting said contact with a terminal of the battery.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 21st day of May, A. D. 1919.

' CHARLES WEBER. 

